They’re more than financial advisers. The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Business Managers often act as confidants, fixers and, yes, therapists for their über-successful, mega-famous clients. “It’s a family relationship,” says Platinum Financial Management CEO Michael Ullman, who often starts working with clients like Margot Robbie long before they hit it big.
Nearly all of the folks we spoke with for the list — compiled through a mix of research and reporting to uncover those working with the biggest names in entertainment — say they’ve been counseling clients on how to weather the unprecedented financial storm post-strikes.
“Everyone’s working harder for less,” says NKSFB founding partner Michael Karlin. They’re also helping clients answer thorny questions like how to buy a house while interest rates remain high, and what the presidential election will mean for their investments.
Written by Gary Baum, Winston Cho, Lisa de los Reyes, Nicole Fell, Ryan Gajewski, Caitlin Huston, Natalie Jarvey, Pamela McClintock, Lexy Perez, Zoe G. Phillips, Christy Piña, Jeanie Pyun, Beatrice Verhoeven and Brande Victorian
Rob Abramowitz, Catherine Catherine, Craig Manzino, Marc Rosen and Jason Zayon
Even A-listers, Fortune 500 execs and marquee athletes — Armanino’s clients — felt the strikes and are prioritizing long-term planning and risk mitigation to “future-proof their finances,” says Manzino. “Those who set up cash flow management, emergency funds and diversified revenue sources are navigating uncertainty more effectively.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “Concierge medicine may be worth the health investment,” says Rosen.
David Altman, Anthony Bonsignore, Steve Pregiato and Frank Selvaggi
The boutique firm has offices in New York and L.A. and is home to creatives like Greta Gerwig and Donald Glover and stars Steve Martin and Anne Hathaway. “Every day is a pinch-me moment,” says Bonsignore, who took over running the firm after founder Selvaggi began to scale back in 2020.
Advice for out-of-work clients “Rein in discretionary spending, reassess budget and finances, stay positive,” says Pregiato.
Howard Altman, Corey Barash, Warren Grant, Kim Ibrahim and Zoe Lawrence
Good luck getting these partners to disclose which of the industry’s top earners they advise. Barash says the firm, which includes Fran Wild and David Jackson, works with clients, both in front of and behind the camera, to help them build at least six months of liquid reserves, “to be prepared for events out of their control and give them flexibility to accept the most suitable offers and opportunities.”
Marie Ambrosino
Ambrosino’s client list includes top writers and showrunners Mindy Kaling and Seth MacFarlane, who’ve remained busy in spite of the recent pullback in TV spending. For clients struggling to find work, she advises: “Think of Plan B. What would they do if not acting or writing?”
If I wasn’t a business manager, I’d be “A travel agent for conservation travel.”
Belva Anakwenze
“The inherent volatility of the business in 2024 has underscored the necessity of cash reserves,” says Anakwenze, who advises clients like Jay Ellis and Kevin Frazier to expand their skill set. “Screenwriters are leveraging their skills to help forge media campaigns, and working actors are returning to their roots in commercial work. On the back end, we help our clients reduce expenses by negotiating reduced interest rates or requesting payment forbearance.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “Not to spend it, but to invest the money.”
Brett Anderson, Jeff Bacon,Chris Bucci, Rachel Martinez, Martin Meeks, Aaron Philpott, Steve Savitsky and Jeremy Stahl
The firm — notoriously tightlipped about the stars, athletes and execs it advises — has been in growth mode since rebranding in 2022. Last year, it acquired Philpott Meeks, and it will soon open its first international office. “It creates a whole new level of expertise for us,” says CEO Bucci. “Our clients’ lives are getting much more complicated. The more experts in house, the better we can service our clients holistically.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “If you must, a luxury safari in Africa,” says Anderson.
Tara Beaudine-Moore, Abner Monegro and Phil Sarna
The firm — which works with clients across film, TV, music, sports and fashion — is expanding with a new office in Nashville. In addition to advising big music names like Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello and Benny Blanco, Beaudine-Moore says the firm is “thrilled” to be working with rising star Benson Boone.
Best way to spend $50,000 “Put the vast majority into savings or investments,” says Beaudine-Moore. “Then you can buy yourself something special every year with the money you earn while you sleep!”
Tyson Beem, Enza Cohn, Andrew Crow, Shane Glass, Melissa Morton, Rick Mozenter and Eduardo Pabellón
In his second year as CEO, Beem focused on growing the firm, whose longtime clients include Will Smith, Keke Palmer and Jordan Peele. In August, Gelfand announced a merger with Goldman & Knell, where Piers Morgan is a client, while Glass, of Colony Business Management, joined last year. With clients, Beem says, “It’s about being collaborative and helping navigate whatever opportunity is in front of them.”
Evan Bell and Liza de Leon
With the industry turmoil, “the old mantra of, ‘There are no guarantees in the business’ has never been truer,” says Bell. “The first line item of every budget must be savings.” The firm, which includes colleague Yifan Yang, has a roster that spans Hollywood, from horror auteur Robert Eggers to angel investor turned influencer Hannah Bronfman.
Most-asked question this year “Can I afford a new house with current interest rates and give up my current low rate?” says Bell.
Steve Bills, Julie Krimstein, Alec Stoll and Peter Stoll
This Encino firm fiercely protects the identity of its clients across the entertainment spectrum, and they receive “balanced” guidance tailored to “personal circumstances,” say partners Peter Stoll and son Alec. Krimstein adds expertise as a licensed psychotherapist. When asked about the election’s effect on investments, Stoll padre says, “The planning we have done focuses on the long term, and they will be fine.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “Experiences like traveling with family or friends,” says Peter.
Terry Bird, Douglas Cammarano, Arnie Herrmann, Jean Lee, David Leventhal, Matthew Segreto, Craig Tessler and Jeff Yamashita
As one of the biggest tax and business advisory firms in the U.S., Citrin Cooperman, now celebrating its 45th anniversary, works with a host of Hollywood mavericks, including OG maverick Tom Cruise. Cammarano, Lee and Yamashita are new to the list, joining colleagues who advise James Gunn, Angelina Jolie, Ana de Armas and Guillermo del Toro.
Andrew Blackman and Ron Myers
The seasoned partners have portfolios that span estate work (Bob Fosse, William Goldman) and busy talent (Norman Reedus, Brian Cox). AI and streaming consolidation may be on every lip of late, but for their clients, government obligations will forever be Topic A. “It’s always the same: ‘How do I reduce my taxes?’ ” says Myers. Echoes Blackman, “It’s all about efficiencies.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “If you’ve exhausted all your potential for tax savings? Spend it on what makes you happy,” says Blackman.
David Bolno, Richard Feldstein, Bernie Gudvi, Michael Karlin, Thomas Kingsley, Matt Segal, Mickey Segal and Dian Vaughn
With 650 employees spread across seven offices, the largest business management firm in the country continues to grow in spite of its ongoing legal battle with owner Focus Financial Partners. It’s work that founding partner Karlin, whose clients include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, enjoys even 43 years later. “We’re busy, and it’s an exciting business,” he says. Other firm clients include Beyoncé and Adam Levine.
Jason Brown, Anna DerParseghian and John Power
Many California and New York clients have been asking if they should move to a more tax-friendly state, says Brown. That’s where the firm steps in to run calculations. Power adds that its heavy hitters, many of whom came to the firm based on reputation alone, are asking about dynastic trusts, a way of passing wealth to the next generation sans estate taxes.
Best way to spend $50,000 “Grandchildren 529 [college savings] plans,” says Power.
Matthew Burke
Amid recent high-profile cyberstrikes that can wreck consumers’ financial lives, Singer Burke has invested heavily in upgrading its technology security, from private messaging platforms to proprietary software that gives clients comprehensive real-time updates. “It’s actually enhanced meaningful interactions with our clients,” notes Burke, who works with creatives from the Bachelor franchise, Bridgerton, The Morning Show and the Dune films.
Steven Campeas
Take a careful look at spending, reduce expenses where possible and discuss ways to generate income are the top pieces of advice Campeas — whose roster includes John Stamos, Lana Condor and Chiwetel Ejiofor — offers out-of-work clients. He says, “Seeing long-standing clients through the ups and downs, and now they have enough money to last the rest of their lives” is the most fulfilling part of his job.
Best way to spend $50,000 “Invest in your own pension plan or pay down your mortgage.”
Elizabeth Campos and Jack Sinoryan
On Sept. 1, longtime colleagues Campos and Sinoryan combined their 40-plus years of experience to launch their own firm. After working their way up from assistants, they appreciate the responsibility of being, as Sinoryan says, “chief problem-solvers” for their clients, who range from athletes to film and TV pros to entrepreneurs and musicians. Campos notes that relationships are their top priority, adding that “[Clients] don’t have to be in the weeds, but they have to be in the know.”
Advice for out-of-work clients “Find hobbies outside of shopping,” says Campos.
Mark Cattalini, Charles Clancy, Mark Friedman, Matt Lichtenberg, John Rigney and Paul Ta
The company’s origins date to 1987, when Rigney left Jess S. Morgan & Co. to launch a new firm. Three decades later, Level Four’s clients include Quentin Tarantino, Larry David and Phil Lord and Chris Miller. When asked how he advises those seeking work, Cattalini says, “Spend less and stay active — mentally and physically.” As to the question clients ask the most, Friedman says: “How am I doing financially?”
Career highlight “Attending the Cannes Film Festival for the first time,” says Friedman.
Ryan Conlon and Harley Neuman
Neuman says he’s been busy as the industry gets back on its feet. “It’s affecting everyone across the board — fewer pitch meetings, fewer projects being set up, etc.,” says the founding partner who with Conlon advises showrunners (Ryan Murphy), stars (Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldaña) and influencers (Jay Shetty, Alix Earle). There are bright spots: “This year I went to a client’s house after they brought home an Oscar,” says Conlon. “It really is heavier than you think!”
Most-asked question this year “I have quite a few clients looking into dual citizenship,” says Neuman, “probably due to the current political climate.”
Steve Gelon, Van Lee, Alex Smith and Justin Sroka
Post-strikes, Smith is advising clients, including those with generational wealth, to be conservative as “recoveries are not perfectly linear.” Sroka tells clients, both in and out of work, that “focusing on what makes you happy and keeps your creative juices flowing will deliver the best results. The stress of finances doesn’t allow them to be their best selves.” Lee adds, “Network! There’s no telling what new opportunities could arise.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “With acute awareness of active geopolitical concerns, self-care, both physical and or mental,” says Smith.
Harvey Gettleson, Seth Gettleson and Randy O’Connor
The 24-year-old firm, which advises such heavyweights as J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay, Will Packer and Sterlin Harjo, has blunt advice to clients struggling to find work in a post-strike reality: “Be realistic about your lifestyle — and make hard choices.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “Buy art,” advises Harvey Gettleson.
Richard Goldstein, Bruce Kolbrenner, Howard Krant, Alice Lee, David Levin and Lewis Stark
Adeptus, which last year folded four rival firms into its ranks, has a slew of high-profile clients, including John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Carrie Coon, T-Pain and MrBeast. Business management has its perks. For CEO Krant, it was sitting across from Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono as Joan Jett thanked him onstage in her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech. Levin fondly recalls singing a capella backstage with Madonna before her 1990 concert at Madison Square Garden.
Best way to spend $50,000 “Give 50 people $1,000 who haven’t seen $1,000 in a long time,” says Levin.
Reggie Gooden
The No. 1 question Gooden has been asked this year is, “What is an HYS and should I have one?” His answer: “It’s a high-yield savings account, and yes, yes, you should.” In the past year, he’s opened a second office in Burbank and expanded his two-year-old firm’s clientele beyond entertainers such as Bella Thorne and Cedric The Entertainer to offer accounting-only services to managers and entertainment brands.
Career highlight “Appearing on a nationally broadcast real estate TV Show [Million Dollar Listing].”
Laura Gordon
Gordon works with Nick Cannon, David Oyelowo and Amandla Stenberg as well as other high-net-worth actors, athletes, comedians, filmmakers and musicians. She says navigating post-strike Hollywood has been top of mind for her clients. After 30 years in the business, Gordon recently named her son, Isaac M. Gordon, a managing partner at the firm, which has expanded with an Atlanta office.
If I wasn’t a business manager, I’d be “A minister.”
2024 Business Manager Icon: John McIlwee
McIlwee only made it partway through one pre-med chemistry class at UCLA before marching out and changing his major to economics. He’s never looked back.
After graduating in 1989 and waiting tables close to Beverly Hills, he got to know the likes of Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane: “Back then, all the Young Turks from CAA were coming in.” To help him pinpoint what to do next, he picked three words that described his ideal career: “Organization, finance and entertainment.”
One friend suggested he should be an agent; McIlwee looked into joining CAA’s mailroom, but it wasn’t the right fit. Another friend suggested business management. “I was like, ‘What’s that?’ ” McIlwee recalls, and he took it upon himself to learn. On his second attempt at cold-calling business management firms listed in the Beverly Hills yellow pages, he struck gold. “I started in 1990 and was there for 29 years,” he says of the firm that became Shephard McIlwee & Tinglof. “We started with three people and built it into one of the best business management firms in Hollywood.”
John McIlwee
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images
The most useful early advice he got was: “You can never tell somebody bad news soon enough,” he says, adding, “The sooner you can alert them to a negative situation, the more time you have to come up with an action plan. A lot of people procrastinate, and that’s why they get into tax problems. We are 180 degrees the opposite.”
Perhaps that’s why, after setting out on his own in 2019, his clients were able to withstand the double whammy of the pandemic and strikes. Many of them are having a big year: Jonathan Groff won the best actor Tony for Merrily We Roll Along, Matt Reeves’ The Penguin recently premiered on Max, Kerry Condon is set to star opposite Brad Pitt in 2025’s F1, and then there’s new client Kevin Costner. “He’s seen a lot of activity this year, and it’s been fantastic for myself and my team to be there to support him,” McIlwee says.
Between tax prep, income and spending tracking, navigating guild health insurance options and more, his goal is always to have clients feel “communicated to, protected and also taken care of.”
When he’s not focused on juggling the finances of such clients as Jane Lynch, McIlwee and his husband, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation president Bill Damaschke, have bought and restored several architecturally significant homes in Southern California. Among them are L.A.’s John Lautner-designed Garcia House and an estate once owned by Gerald and Betty Ford in Rancho Mirage. “I’ve been good at toggling between the right and left side of my brain,” he notes. “I look at things like my return on investment, but we’re doing a good thing for history and the architectural legacy.” — Lisa de los Reyes
Liz Kenney
Kenney — whose clients include Awkwafina and Tiffany Haddish — has grown to represent influencers and comedians, including the Bored Teachers touring show. “After the downturn, everything is very slow,” Kenney says. “But the touring business is doing great.” She suggests to out-of-work clients, “Invest in passion projects while you have this opportunity of time.”
If I wasn’t a business manager, I’d be “A professional golfer.”
Mark Landesman, Scott Landesman, Jessica Mooney and Paul Zukowsky
Known for representing top names in comedy, the managers at ML, who include 2023 Icon Mark Landesman and his son, Scott, say the most frequent question they’ve been hearing from clients is, “When is the right time to buy real estate again?”
If I wasn’t a business manager, I’d be “A history teacher,” says Scott.
Hollywood earners financially rely on (clockwise from top left) Jessica Mooney, Matthew Burke, Belva Anakwenze and Humble Lukanga.
Courtesy of Subject (4)
Humble Lukanga
If Lukanga wasn’t CEO and founder of his own financial advisory firm, he’d be a pediatrician “working to help make children’s lives better,” he says. Instead, he spends his days ensuring clients like Issa Rae, Terry Crews and Anthony Edwards properly manage their wealth as they grapple with a common concern: What is AI going to do to the film and TV industry?
Advice for out-of-work clients “You are never out of work; you have time to breathe and keep perfecting your craft.”
Carrie Malcolm
Malcolm, who joined NKSFB in 2020, has managed the business affairs of Hollywood figures like Ethan Hawke and Benedict Cumberbatch for more than 20 years. One highlight? The time she sang back-up on “Sweet Jane” for David Duchovny at London’s O2 arena.
If I wasn’t a business manager, I’d be “A travel writer.”
Joel Mandel, Rob Mandel and Erica Wright
This powerhouse trio speaks little to the media but carries big-name clientele, with reports linking their money management repertoire to such hugely successful industry titans as Judd Apatow, Greg Daniels, Steven Levitan and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Andrew Meyer and Steves Rodriguez
Achieving financial balance remains a mantra for these two, whose A-list roster includes Jon M. Chu, Kathryn Hahn, Ramy Youssef and Ellen Pompeo. “We look at their situation in totality and say, ‘Let’s figure out a path,’ ” which can be different for every household, from a single individual to extended families, says Meyer. Speaking of blended families, Rodriguez reps Kerstin Emhoff, co-founder of production company Prettybird and former wife of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Most-asked question this year “What are you seeing with other clients?” says Rodriguez. “Are they busy?”
Clockwise from left: Business managers Steves Rodriguez, Anna DerParseghian, Andrew Meyer, Scott Landesman and Jack Sinoryan.
Paul Forrer; Courtesy of Subject (4)
Mark Pariser and Tony Peyrot
Pariser and Peyrot have a diverse client base, from actor Giancarlo Esposito to a pro boxer, a college basketball player and a DJ. Pariser says a top inquiry — when will interest rates really drop? — has been tricky to gauge. “If I had a good answer, I would be an extremely rich adviser!” says the manager who signed his first client 30 years ago. Controlling spending is key: “We don’t know how long the slowdown will last.”
If I wasn’t a business manager, I’d be “A therapist,” says Pariser. “I enjoy talking to people about issues that affect their lives.”
Phil Ramos
Ramos says he would be rescuing dogs and cats if he weren’t servicing clients like John Wick helmer Chad Stahelski and The Fall Guy husband-wife team David Leitch and Kelly McCormick. To those out of work, he’s had one consistent piece of advice: “Tighten the purse strings and keep reaching out to the sources who have given you opportunities in the past. Something will come of it.”
Joseph Rust
The longtime partner at Prager Metis — who handles a wide swath of entertainers, from recording artists to TV creators, including South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone — says AI, so feared in the creative echelons of Hollywood, is already revolutionizing the management business, with auditing technology alone “helping us find anomalies: You can burn down a haystack to look for the needles.”
Rob Salzman and David Weise
Founder Weise, who has worked with such musicians as The Weeknd and Coldplay, is a pro at helping clients adapt in an ever-changing industry. His advice? “Be prepared for the days when you are not working.” Salzman, who joined NKSFB with Weise in 2019, says to “take inventory of your circumstances” and “mitigate unnecessary spending.”
Most-asked question this year “Why am I paying so much in income taxes?” says Weise.
Rick Shephard and Mark Tinglof
Shephard, who founded his firm more than 30 years ago, says one of his career highlights was asking Tinglof — whom he calls “the steadiest partner a business manager could hope for” — to join him. The under-the-radar firm, which advises Courteney Cox, Ben Stiller, Kurt Russell, Jon Favreau and The Gilded Age director Michael Engler, has been counseling clients to review spending and, per Tinglof, “keep bleeding to a minimum.”
Best way to spend $50,000 “Stay away from Last Vegas and short Tesla stock,” says Tinglof.
Steven Shapiro
Shapiro partially attributes his success to his mom, who told him to stick to accounting when he was about to begin law school in 1989. The 35-year veteran — who works with Zendaya, Taylor Sheridan, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Lamorne Morris and Aaron Paul — says the question he’s gotten most this year is, “When can I sell and rebuy another house?”
Barry Siegel, Jeff Turner and Bill Vuylsteke
The firm, which is spread across five offices including outposts in San Francisco and Nashville, has thrived amid the downturn, thanks to the bustling touring music business. “We have many acts on the road doing theaters and stadiums,” says Vuylsteke, who has served as the money manager for Green Day and Sheryl Crow. Other clients have included Mike Judge, Angela Bassett and Elijah Wood.
Michael Ullman
Ullman, the sole partner at his own firm, describes his work with Robbie, Brooke Shields and Miles Teller as “a family relationship.” That’s why he prioritizes in-person meetings even in the age of Zoom. When he signs a client who’s recently hit it big, the 35-year veteran says, “I call them in, sit them down and say, ‘Let’s talk about all your dreams. Let me work with you to make them come to fruition.’ ”
Iif I wasn’t a business manager, I’d be “Clients tell me I could’ve been a comedian.”
Jeff Wolman
This reticent University of Toronto alum — and Culver City-based lawyer, tax expert and investment adviser — has counted Bradley Cooper, James Wan, Halle Berry and fellow Canadian Will Arnett among his clients that include multiple winners across the EGOT spectrum.
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